1874Honorably discharged from the Marines on May 18Studies composition with George Felix Benkert (until 1876)Becomes conductor of the Washington, D.C., Opera House (until 1877)Conducts road company in Matt Morgan’s Living Pictures (until 1878)Plays 1st violin under Offenbach at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia (until 1878)Plays in Mrs. Drew’s Arch Street Theater Orchestra in Philadelphia (until 1879)

1875Conducts road company in The Phoenix throughout the U.S.

1876Plays in Chestnut Street Theater Orchestra in Philadelphia

1879Becomes music director of Gorman’s Philadelphia Church Choir Company in H.M.S. PinaforeTours with H.M.S. Pinafore

1879Marries Jane van Middlesworth (Bellis) on December 30, 1879

1880Composes Our Flirtations (a play with music) and tours as conductor of the groupEnlists in the Marines for a third time as leader, or principal musician

1880-92Serves as conductor of “The President’s Own,” the U.S. Marine Band under presidents Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, and Harrison

1884Composes first successful operetta Desiree

1889Composes “The Washington Post March,” which brings him world fame--and $35 in royalties

1891Takes the U.S. Marine Band on its first tour of the U.S.

1892Honorably discharged from the Marines on July 30First concert by Sousa’s New Marine Band in Plainfield, NJ, on September 26Sousa Band tours annually, performing more than 15,000 concerts (until 1931)Sousa Band performs at the dedication of buildings at the World’s Columbian Exposition (World’s Fair) in Chicago in October

1893Engaged by Theodore Thomas to play in concerts at World’s Columbian Exposition, May-June

1895Completes full score for operetta El Capitan

1896David Blakely (Sousa’s manager) dies in New York while Sousa is on vacation in EuropeFirst performance of operetta El Capitan in Boston on April 13Completes piano score for “The Stars and Stripes Forever” on Christmas Day

1897Completes band score for “The Stars and Stripes Forever” in Boston on April 26First performance of operetta The Bride Elect in New Haven, CT, on December 28

1898First performance of operetta The Charlatan in Montreal, Canada, on August 29

1900 Begins engagement as the official American band at the Universal Exposition (World’s Fair) in Paris, France (also tours Europe), May-September

1901 Sousa Band tours Great Britain; first command performance at Sandringham on December 1

1903Sousa Band again tours Great Britain

1910Sousa Band begins world tour on December 24

1911World tour is completed at the New York Hippodrome on December 10

1913First performance of operetta The American Maid in Rochester, NY, on January 27

1915Sousa Band performs at Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, CA, May-July

1917Sousa enlists in the U.S. Navy at the age of 62 and forms the 300-piece “Jackie” Band at the Great Lakes NavalTraining Center near Chicago. Discharged as a lieutenant commander

1921Receives injury upon fall from his horse at Willow Grove, PA, on September 6

1931 Completes last published march, “The Circumnavigators Club,” on October 29

1932Rehearses with the Ringgold Band in Reading, PA, March 5; the final piece rehearsed is “The Stars and Stripes Forever” marchDies in Reading, PA, on March 6Buried in Congressional Cemetery, Washington, D.C., on March 10